Ever felt the notion of needing a holiday from your holiday? Upon returning from all the drama during my voyage at United States, I was warmly received by SGI Vacation Club Berhad to their beach resort at Damai Laut as a welcome home treat with my romantic date. We’d been to Perak as a couple several times, but never discovered the gem that is literally translated as the ‘peaceful sea’.

The best gift about being Malaysian is having every year lined up with a list of long weekend breaks. I am a strong believer in maximizing these free holidays, though I must admit that sometimes I let the precious days pass by while doing nothing memorable at home. Comes the next working day, I get mad at myself for not utilizing yesterday’s potential by turning it into a productive break.

There are two upcoming long weekends this December and while the east coast is going through the rough monsoon season, I’d like to recommend an (incredibly) affordable weekend getaway gem ideal to be savored with a loved one, family or alone, because this humble paradise is perfect that way.

In this post you will see the different sides of the beach resort, the accomodation SGI Vacation Club provides and the natural beauty surrounding it, so that you’d already have a clearer picture of what to expect and how to make the best out of your stay by the end of this article.

Are you someone who enjoys road trips, constantly seeks getaways and loves stay-cations? If the answer is yes to all, may I suggest joining SGI Vacation Club; which allows you to save a lot more when it comes to accommodations.

Why Choose Vacation Club?

a. Stress-free Travel Experience – With SGI Vacation Club membership, you can now leave your everyday stresses behind and rejuvenate yourself. Plan a getaway and cherish every moment to create an everlasting and wonderful memories with your families, friends and loved ones. All you need to do is to make your reservation online and head out for your new adventure.

b. Hedge Against Inflation – Once you join SGI Vacation Club’s big family as a member, you secure today’s accommodation cost for all of your future vacations. Best of all, you create significant savings by pre-paying at current prices and safeguard yourself against the cost inflation!

c. Hedge Against Foreign Currency Exchange –By becoming SGI Vacation Club member, you are not only enjoying cost-savings but you mitigate your exchange rate fluctuations risk while travelling out of the country as your future holiday are locked at today’s price.

d. Discover Quality Hotels and Resorts Worldwide –You have a big dream to explore exciting destinations around the world? Satisfy your wanderlust with Interval International, an affiliated global exchange partner whom provides access to more than 2,900 hotels and resorts worldwide with SGI Vacation Club’s membership. It is never too late to tick off all your to-do-list!

Even the most adventurous of travelers dream of a short and sweet escape that feels close to home once in a while. This little slice of heaven is a home-based resort that is suitable for people seeking tranquility away from colorful tourists or anything overly mainstream.

P.S. Girls, get your pedicure and beach accessories ready!

The resort offers a different set of facilities and services families would heartily enjoy; such as swimming pools in various depths and sizes, tennis courts to keep you fit while on vacation and BBQ pits for forever summer nights.

Sexc Blue, Blue, Pools

5 pictures of me and only 1 picture of my man show our love for each other. Joke aside, this poolside is our favorite lounge spot where we spent all our afternoons and early evenings reading on lazy benches, sipping beer or wine, throwing our gazes far, far away to the ocean and back to each other’s eyes, before heading for cosy dinners together.

Deluxe Room with An Ocean View

We stayed at the Seaview Deluxe Double Bedroom, which looks amazing with its spacious room and cosy ambiance that’s specially tailored for lovers, honeymooners and every travellers who want peace, privacy and tranquillity.

The mattress and pillows we slept on are made for dreamland. The furniture selections fit perfectly with the resort mood. In addition, the resort’s bathroom provides an inviting atmosphere complete with delightful amenities. Housekeeping and general service are simply superlative. We feel relaxed and being pampered by just chilling in the room alone. Open the curtains and voila! A peaceful sea view greeting you:

Spa & Massage for Serious Relaxation

Although SGIVC offers accommodation only, various activities can be arranged to excite your trip! For example, Samsara Spa is serious about hiring highly trained therapists who are devoted to pamper their customers and ensure that they leave the place happy. If you’re a fan of massages, you might have experienced some parlors that are dishonest (10 minutes short), way too chatty, or oblivious to where your pressure points actually are. Here, there is no need to worry about the petty things.

It was É’s first time getting a spa – you should see him wrapped like a mummy and muttering, yet he can’t escape to save his life - it was hilarious!

I highly recommend the Samsara Royale package; a gentle body scrub using powdered spices and sweet wood ‘lulur’ to soften and moisturize, followed by a splash of yogurt, leaving the skin even more refreshed. My favorite part is inevitably the Balinese aromatherapy massage at the end that comes with specially blended oils.

Duration: 105 minutes | Price: RM270 per pax

The Peaceful Sea That Is Damai Laut

As this resort is located right by the beach, it was a piece of (delicious) cake to get there. If I could, I would have stayed here day and night . . . so peaceful, full of glitters, so golden, yet so blue. Here, I emptied my mind, filled it with dreams and danced around the sand while É worked the camera.

P.P.S. If you love taking beach shots, this makes a good spot as it is not crowded with people, yet the sea and sand are just as lovely as the ones lining the east coast.

Beach Activities

After you’re done enjoying all the SGI Vacation Club facilities, it’s time for some fun beach activities!

I hope this list can help you plan your beach retreat better. If you’re traveling in a group of 8 (or manage to join other tourists), I highly recommend the ‘Island Hopping, Snorkeling and Fish Feeding with BBQ Lunch’ package, which costs RM120 per person.

Resort Restaurants To Suit Your Moods

{The Garden Terrace – ideal for breakfast buffets*}

*Can be arranged with SGIVC at RM50 nett for 3 Adults or 2 Adults 2 Children.

{Thai Taste Restaurant – for a Thai food experience}

{It’s not hard to see why this hanging aquarium restaurant is my favorite spot on this property}

Recommended Restaurant Outside the Resort (Sitiawan)

Once you checked-in the resort, it is most likely that you would rather chill within the vicinity and laze your bones by the beach. However, if by any chance you’d like to dine out, take a 20 to 30-minute drive out to Sitiawan and visit Amu Coconut Villa.

{Sipping on fermented coconut drink that is apparently good when mixed with beer!}

{The one dish you must-have: Crab Mian Xian Soup. As for the rest, order what they’re best at: SEAFOOD}